Reri Grist facts for kids
Reri Grist (born February 29, 1932) is an American singer known for her amazing high voice. She is a coloratura soprano, which means she can sing very high notes with great skill. Reri Grist was one of the first African-American singers to have a big international career in opera.
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Early Life and Broadway Beginnings
Reri Grist was born in New York City in 1932. She grew up in the East River Housing Projects. She loved music from a young age and studied voice at the High School of Music & Art. Later, she earned a music degree from Queens College, City University of New York.
When she was a teenager, Reri Grist started performing on Broadway. She had small parts in plays and musicals. She even worked with famous actors like Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee. She also sang with Eartha Kitt in musicals, all while taking voice lessons.
From Musicals to Opera Stages
Reri Grist's first "operatic" role was in 1956. She played Cindy Lou in Carmen Jones. This was a special version of the famous opera Carmen, made by Oscar Hammerstein II.
In 1957, she was part of the original Broadway show West Side Story. She played Consuelo and was the first to sing the beautiful song "Somewhere" to the public. You can also hear her singing it on the original cast album!
A Star in Classical Music
Reri Grist's big break in classical music came in 1960. The famous conductor Leonard Bernstein asked her to sing in Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 4. This was for a Young People's Concert at Carnegie Hall with the New York Philharmonic orchestra.
After this, she often performed with the New York Philharmonic. She worked with other important conductors like Nadia Boulanger and Pierre Boulez.
First Opera Performances
Her first real opera performance was in 1959 at the Santa Fe Opera. She sang the role of Adele in Die Fledermaus. Soon after, she played Blondchen in Die Entführung aus dem Serail. The famous composer Igor Stravinsky saw her perform and invited her to sing in his opera Le Rossignol.
In 1960, Reri Grist made her European debut in Germany. She sang the challenging role of the Queen of the Night in Mozart's The Magic Flute at the Cologne Opera.
International Opera Career
From 1960 to 1966, Reri Grist was a main singer at the Zurich Opera in Switzerland. Here, she performed many important roles for the first time. These included Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos, Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier, Adina in L'elisir d'amore, and Gilda in Rigoletto.
Her success in Zurich made her very popular. She soon started performing at other famous opera houses:
- In 1962, she sang at the Royal Opera House in London and the Glyndebourne Festival.
- In 1963, she debuted at the Vienna State Opera in Austria. She performed there for an amazing twenty-five seasons!
Singing Across America
In the same year, 1963, Reri Grist also began singing at the San Francisco Opera. Her first role there was Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia. For twelve years in a row, she added many more roles to her list. These included Oscar in Un ballo in maschera, Manon in Massenet's Manon, and Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro.
Her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City was on February 25, 1966. She sang Rosina again. Over thirteen seasons, she performed many roles there, such as Gilda, Oscar, Olympia, Sophie, and Zerbinetta.
Festivals and Later Career
In 1964, Reri Grist had a very successful debut as Zerbinetta at the Salzburg Festival in Austria. She performed there for twelve seasons, singing in operas by Mozart and Richard Strauss. She worked with famous conductors like Karl Böhm and Herbert von Karajan.
From 1965 to 1987, she regularly performed at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, Germany. She also made guest appearances at other major opera houses around the world, including La Scala in Milan, Italy.
Reri Grist finished her opera singing career in 1991. She performed in a special one-woman opera called Neither in Amsterdam.
Teaching and Recognition
After her singing career, Reri Grist shared her knowledge with new generations of singers. She became a professor of voice at Indiana University Bloomington in the United States. She also taught at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München in Munich, Germany.
She has received several honors for her contributions to music. In 1976, she was given the title of Bayerische Kammersängerin, a special award in Germany for outstanding singers. In 2001, she received a Legacy Award from the American Opera Association.
Reri Grist now lives in Germany with her husband, Dr. Ulf Thomson.
Filmography
Reri Grist also appeared in several films of her opera performances:
- Ariadne auf Naxos (1965), as Zerbinetta
- Le nozze di Figaro (1966), as Susanna
- Don Pasquale (1972), as Norina
- Un ballo in maschera (1975), as Oscar
- Die Entführung aus dem Serail (1980), as Blondchen
- Die schweigsame Frau (1972), as Aminta
See also
In Spanish: Reri Grist para niños
